WEBVTT NK YOU.A BAN LIKE THIS RAISES THEQUESTION OF WHETHER SMART PHONESARE HURTING STUDENTS' ABILITY TOLEARN.SOME EXPERTS WORRY IT MIGHT MEANWE'RE LOSING IMPORTANT SKILLSAND ABILITIES.12 NEWS' KENT WAINSCOTTINVESTIGATES>> I'M ABSOLUTELY RELIANT ON MYPHONE. >> WHEN THEY WANT TO KNOWSOMETHING, THEY KNOW, I ASKSIRI. >> SIRI HERE. >> YOU KNOW SHE'S BURIED IN HERPHONE OR BURIED IN HER DEVICE. >> SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM,FACEBOOK. REPORTER: BUT HAVE YOU LOST ANYSKILLS BECAUSE OF IT? >> THEY DON'T LEARN HOW TOINTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. >> I THINK I COULD DO THINGSTHAT THE OLD PEOPLE COULD DO. REPORTER: YOUR SMARTPHONE IS NOWALSO YOUR CAMERA, COMPASS,CLOCK, AND DOZENS OF OTHERTHINGS YOU USED TO USE AND RELYON.>> HOW MAY I HELP YOU? REPORTER: BUT IS IT DOING TOOMUCH FOR US?>> THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THATSIRI CAN TELL US.SHE ISN'T ALL KNOWING, DESPITEWHAT MY KIDS THINK. REPORTER: MARQUETTE PROFESSORMELISSA GIBSON THINKS THEDIGITAL REVOLUTION IS ALSOCREATING A SORT OF DIGITALEVOLUTION, CHANGING WHAT AND HOWWE LEARN.>> OUR ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY ATANY MOMENT HAS CHANGED THE WAYWE KNOW THINGS. REPORTER: BUT ARE YOUNG PEOPLELOSING CERTAIN IMPORTANT SKILLSBECAUSE THEIR PHONES ARE DOINGTHE WORK FOR THEM?YOU'VE LOST SKILLS?FOR EXAMPLE?>> I THINK MY ATTENTION SPAN ISSO MUCH SHORTER BECAUSE OF MYPHONE.REPORTER: ARE WE RELYING ON OURPHONES FOR TOO MUCH?>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.I THINK WE'RE LOSING A LOT OFREPORTER: WHO, RIGHT NOW, COULDTELL ME THEIR HOME PHONE NUMBER?>> I CAN.>> I DON'T HAVE A PHONE.REPORTER: YOU DON'T KNOW YOUROWN ADDRESS?>> NO, I DON'T. REPORTER: WE ASKED THESESHOREWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTSTO HELP US WITH AN EXPERIMENTSOLVING AN EVERY DAY PROBLEM.YOU NEED TO GET FROM HERE TO5300 SOUTH HOWELL AVENUE.WHAT WOULD YOU DO?>> GOOGLE MAPS. >> YEAH, I'D JUST PLUG IT INTOGOOGLE MAPS AND NAVIGATE FROMTHERE. REPORTER: NAVIGATE ONE SIMPLEROUTE AND FIND OUT WHERE ITTAKES YOU.>> SOUTH HOWELL, WHERE'S HOWELL?REPORTER: FIRST, USING THEIRPHONES.>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS,SOMEONE FIGURE IT OUT. >> MY PHONE DIED.>> I WOULD NEVER GET THERE.REPORTER: AND THEN DOING IT THEWAY THEIR PARENTS ANDGRANDPARENTS DID.DID YOU EVER SEE ONE OF THOSE?>> OH, IT'S A MAP. REPORTER: THEY DISCOVERED THEANSWER. >> OH, IT'S THE AIRPORT.GENERAL MITCHELL AIRPORT.REPORTER: AND DISCOVEREDSOMETHING ABOUT THEMSELVES.>> I WOULD BE LOST, AND ALL IHAVE IS TECHNOLOGY.I'M COMPLETELY RELIANT ONTECHNOLOGY. REPORTER: BUT IT ALSO RAISED ANIMPORTANT QUESTION.>> SO I WONDER IF THEDEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY ISPREVENTING US FROM GAINING BRAINPOWER. >> ANY PART OF THE BRAIN THATDOESN'T GET A WORKOUT TENDS TODETERIORATE. REPORTER: NATIONALLY RECOGNIZEDAUTHORITY DR. NORA NEWCOMBE SAYSTHERE ARE TRADE OFFS THAT COMEWITH THE INCREASE IN SMART PHONEUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.>> WITH ANY TECHNOLOGICALREVOLUTION, I THINK YOU DON'TKNOW WHAT YOU'RE GAINING ANDLOSING.YOU CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU'REDOING SOME OF EACH.MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT YOU'RECHANGING, SO LIFE IS GOING TO BEDIFFERENT. REPORTER: BUT SHE SAYS LOSINGSKILLS ONCE CONSIDEREDESSENTIAL. >> LIKE WHEN PEOPLE CHURNEDBUTTER, I WONDER IF THERE WASLIKE. REPORTER: DOESN'T MEAN WE LOSETHE ABILITY TO STILL LEARN THEM.>> OK, I FOUND THIS ON THE WEBFOR HOW TO CHURN BUTTER. REPORTER: SO IN THE END, THEEXPERTS SAY, IT'S LESS ABOUT THESKILLS WE'RE GAINING OR LOSING. ARE YOU WORRIED AT ALL ABOUTWHERE THIS IS HEADED?>> I MOSTLY REMAIN HOPEFUL ABOUTWHERE IT'S ALL HEADED. REPORTER: THAN ABOUT HOW THE WAYIN WHICH WE LEARN IS CHANGING.>> I WONDER IF KIDS IN THEFUTURE WILL BE LIKE, WOW, ALLYOU HAD WAS THAT IPHONE.WHAT DID YOU EVEN DO WITH THATLITTLE BOX IN YOUR POCKET?REPORTER: SO, WHILE YOUNG PEOPLEMAY BE LOSING SKILLS LIKEHANDWRITING OR BALANCING ACHECKBOOK OR MAKING CHANGETHEY'RE REPLACING THEM WITH, OTHER TECHNOLOGY-RELATEDSKILLS.PATRICK: BUT ARE THEY LOSINGTHINGS THAT CAN'T BE REPLACED?REPORTER: SOME STUDIES SUGGESTTOO MUCH RELIANCE ON DIGITALDEVICES COULD BE HURTING OURMEMORY OR ABILITY TO RECOGNIZEEMOTION IN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS THAT SOMERESEARCHERS HAVE.

Digital Evolution: Is smart tech making us dumber?

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Updated: 10:17 AM CDT May 9, 2017

Dr. Nora Newcombe, a nationally recognized authority on cognitive development, says there are trade-offs that come with the increase in smartphone use among young people.